Allofs: Marin never close to exit

Werder Bremen sporting director Klaus Allofs says the club received no serious offers for Marko Marin during the January transfer window.

Highly rated Marin had been linked with a number of top European clubs during the past month, including Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Inter Milan.

The speculation over the attacking midfielder’s future only intensified when Allofs met with the player and his agent, Fali Ramadani, on transfer deadline day.

However, Allofs has now revealed there was never any chance of the 22-year-old leaving the Weserstadion.

“There were requests for Marko, but none serious,” he told Bild.

“I was amazed at the many rumours. We talked about how such rumours came about.”

Marin, who has already been capped 16 times by his country, is contracted to Bremen until June 2013.